Kayla Koether says last-minute voter bill fails rural Iowans

Democrat Kayla Koether, a candidate for Iowa House District 55, is condemning voter ballot legislation passed on the last day of the 2020 Iowa legislative session.

"After Iowans voted in record numbers in the (June 2nd) primary, which county auditors said went smoothly and efficiently, the majority in the legislature spent valuable time making it harder, not easier, for Iowans to vote by mail," Koether said.

The changes approved by the Iowa Legislature restrict county auditors from making corrections to absentee ballot request forms with information they already have available. If a voter mistakenly omits some information or fills it out incorrectly, such as putting "street" instead of "road" in their address, county auditors would have to contact the voter by phone or electronically within 24 hours of receiving an absentee ballot request form to confirm the information. If they can't reach the voter or the voter doesn't respond in time, the request will be thrown out.

Republican lawmakers said the measure was aimed at preventing fraud.

"Northeast Iowans, especially those working long-hours, the elderly, families with young children, people with disabilities, and folks who are sick, want and need easy absentee balloting," Koether said. "Rural voters already have to go further to get to the polls. In some of our small towns, polling sites have been consolidated. Now we're facing the uncertainty of this virus which may keep more of our older residents home in November."